Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 231 - 230. Assassin’s Attack

230. Assassins Attack

"Guan Ting, who are you planning to kill? Why not tell this Prince?"

Guan Ting was startled to see Mo Xiuyao, his white hair conspicuous, emerge from within. This time, however, he wasn’t particularly afraid of Mo Xiuyao. In Guan Ting’s mind, he was now a loyal minister of Great Chu and a confidant of His Majesty, while Mo Xiuyao was merely a universally despised traitor. More importantly, there were at least three thousand elite soldiers inside and outside this small city, whereas Mo Xiuyao had only a few dozen men. Even if the Mo Family Army was formidable, Guan Ting couldn’t conceive of any reason why he, with such an advantageous position, should fail. Thus, after the initial shock, Guan Ting’s expression when looking at Mo Xiuyao once again became arrogant and ferocious, his eyes—made even smaller by the fat that had accumulated on his face from years of overindulgence—filled with venomous resentment and jealousy.

Yes, jealousy. Including Mo Jingqi, the sovereign of the nation, there were likely few men in the world who didn’t harbor jealousy towards Mo Xiuyao. He held the power of both Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Mo Family Army, possessed peerless martial prowess, strikingly handsome features, and a wife and adorable son who were the envy of every ambitious man. The world truly struggled to find a reason not to be jealous of Mo Xiuyao.

But Guan Ting’s jealousy of Mo Xiuyao far predated anyone else’s. Back when he was still following the young Mo Jingqi, then a prince, the spirited, brilliant, and peerlessly talented young heir of Prince Ding’s Mansion was already the object of his envy and jealousy. Once, at the foot of a mountain where bandits were being suppressed, Mo Xiuyao, clad in white and on horseback, had ridden up and, without a word, savagely whipped him. This caused Guan Ting to lose all face before thousands of soldiers. From that moment, Guan Ting harbored a deep-seated, venomous resentment and jealousy towards Mo Xiuyao. He hated Mo Xiuyao’s lineage. If Mo Xiuyao weren’t the heir to Prince Ding’s Mansion, how would he dare whip him in front of so many people? If he weren’t a descendant of Mo Lanyun, not the son of Mo Liufang, how could he possess such outstanding aptitude? Therefore, he had been one of the most gleeful individuals when Prince Ding’s Mansion met with misfortune.

"Prince Ding... Mo Xiuyao, you treacherous villain! How dare you set foot on the soil of Great Chu? Today, I, your General, shall tear you limb from limb to repay His Majesty’s grace!" Guan Ting bellowed, pointing an accusatory finger at Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao spared Guan Ting a casual glance and said indifferently, "Mo Jingqi’s standards for appointing people are truly slipping. To put a cripple in command of troops in the field... even if he isn’t worried about you tumbling off your horse again, he ought to show some concern for the safety of the soldiers under you."

Feng Zhiyao, waving his folding fan, chimed in with a grin, "Isn’t that just the truth? General Guan, with your indomitable spirit despite your physical disability, surely can’t walk onto a battlefield. What if you were to fall from your horse and crush a nearby soldier? Tsk, tsk... His Majesty truly has little regard for his soldiers."

"You... you!" Guan Ting gasped for breath, his face flushed with anger. He loathed it most when people mentioned his leg. He was a military general; a crippled leg meant his career was over. Even for a civil official, the court would never permit a cripple to hold office, for the sake of dignity. It was only out of consideration for their past friendship that His Majesty had assigned him to lead troops out here. In reality, though he held the title of commander, he was never involved in actual battles; it was merely a nominal position. Although the past few years hadn’t been too bad for him, the southwestern frontier could hardly compare to the prosperity of the Capital of Great Chu. And all of this... was the fault of the people from Prince Ding’s Mansion! Guan Ting didn’t know that Prince Ding’s Mansion was responsible for his broken leg—a scheme involving a horse trampling him to promote Murong Shen as guardian of Broken Snow Pass. Nevertheless, he firmly blamed Prince Ding’s Mansion. However, Guan Ting’s rationale was that since he was Mo Jingqi’s confidant, Mo Xiuyao had deliberately plotted to eliminate him. "I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you! Archers, shoot these traitors down!" Guan Ting finally exploded, his voice a furious roar.

However, the soldiers under his command were not as obedient as he expected. After all, the prestige of Prince Ding’s Mansion had endured in Great Chu for a century and was an eternal, indelible legend within the military—not something Mo Jingqi could easily destroy. Had Mo Jingqi twenty or thirty years, he might have been able to completely erase the reputation of Prince Ding’s Mansion in Great Chu, but five years was far too short. Moreover, when the Northwest had announced its break from Great Chu, the proclamation had spread throughout the land. Ordinary soldiers and common folk might not understand grand principles, but they understood that it was the imperial family who had wronged Prince Ding’s Mansion, not the other way around. Avenging a father’s murder is an unreconcilable feud. The fact that Prince Ding didn’t immediately lead the Mo Family Army to the Capital City to avenge his father and brother was seen by the common people as a sign of his magnanimity, still mindful of the centuries of loyalty in protecting Great Chu. Now, as Guan Ting ordered these soldiers to immediately kill Mo Xiuyao and his party, the soldiers, even if they disregarded the prestige of Prince Ding’s Mansion, had to consider the Prince Ding’s Mansion’s mysterious and elusive Qilin.

Mo Xiuyao swept a half-smiling gaze over the soldiers surrounding the inn. Those who had been hesitating, bows in hand, involuntarily lowered their weapons under his indifferent stare. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Seeing the soldiers disobey his command, Guan Ting’s face turned black with rage. He roared, "Insolence! Do you intend to rebel as well? Execute these traitors at once!"

The soldiers below were clearly in a predicament. They neither wished nor dared to make an enemy of Prince Ding’s Mansion, yet Guan Ting was their superior. Even if this superior was unpopular, they were still bound to obey his orders. Feng Zhiyao stepped out from the crowd, a smile playing on his lips. He addressed everyone cheerfully, "Actually, there’s no need for concern. This problem is quite simple to solve." The crowd was puzzled, wondering how this dashing, red-robed young man intended to resolve the situation. With a flick of his sleeve, Feng Zhiyao sent a long whip shooting out, straight towards Guan Ting. In the blink of an eye, Guan Ting was securely bound by the whip and dragged from the crowd to Feng Zhiyao’s side. It was also Guan Ting’s own fault. After being hit by that cucumber earlier, he’d found the crowd too dense to dodge effectively, so he’d ordered his men to spread out. Otherwise, Feng Zhiyao might not have succeeded in yanking him out of the throng with a single pull.

Looking down at Guan Ting, who was tied up securely with the whip, Feng Zhiyao propped his chin with his folding fan and said with a beaming smile, "See? Problem solved. We’ll take this fellow Guan with us. You all just go back and report truthfully. Don’t worry, he won’t be coming back."

After a moment’s hesitation, the soldiers finally parted to make way. Guan Ting had brought them here without the approval of the Border General of Jing Kingdom, who was stationed in the southwest, acting instead on secret orders from Mo Jingqi. Therefore, if they reported back that Guan Ting had been captured, the Border General of Jing Kingdom wouldn’t punish them. This way, they would avoid a conflict with Prince Ding’s Mansion, a truly ideal outcome for them. The soldiers were satisfied, but Guan Ting certainly wasn’t. He understood perfectly what Feng Zhiyao’s words implied. If he were truly taken away by Prince Ding, his life would indeed be over. "You dare! When I return, I will report to His Majesty and have all of your entire families executed!" This threat, however, only made the soldiers retreat even faster. The Vice General, who was last to leave, even cupped his hands towards Feng Zhiyao and the others, saying, "The fate of several thousand of us soldiers rests on this. We implore the Prince to handle this with care."

Mo Xiuyao narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Rest assured, this Prince will not implicate you."

The Vice General’s heart leaped with joy. "Thank you, Prince."

Watching the Great Chu soldiers retreat, Feng Zhiyao, still holding the trussed-up Guan Ting, turned and asked Mo Xiuyao, "Prince, should we leave this place first?" Thousands of soldiers entering the city was too significant an event to conceal. It was best for them to leave this place first.

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Let’s depart once we’ve eaten."

The group dragged the trussed-up Guan Ting, who resembled a human dumpling, out of the city. Back at the inn, Guan Ting had been cursing incessantly. Feng Zhiyao, finding his foul language unbearable, had casually snatched a rag from a table and stuffed it into his mouth. The greasy rag made Guan Ting gag and roll his eyes, reducing his protests to muffled WHIMPERS.

「Less than ten li outside the city.」

Qin Feng, who was leading the way, suddenly reined in his horse. The others naturally halted as well, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. Qin Feng sneered, "Come out! Still trying to follow and ambush us when you can’t even hide properly?!" Before his words faded, several sharp arrows WHIZZED towards him. Qin Feng, too disdainful to even dismount, simply leaned aside on horseback, easily evading the incoming shafts. From the trees on the roadside, the slopes, and the woods, numerous black-clad, masked figures leaped out.

Feng Zhiyao leaned against Zhuo Jing and muttered, "I knew this trip to Nanzhao wouldn’t be so straightforward. But... is it really alright to be dressed in black and masked in broad daylight?" In broad daylight, what color could possibly be more conspicuous than black?

Zhuo Jing’s mouth twitched. He edged slightly away from Feng Zhiyao in distaste and said flatly, "Assassins generally prefer to be clothed in black and masked."

"Nonsense," Feng Zhiyao retorted. "The King of Hell Pavilion has so many assassins; have you ever seen them dressed in black and masked? The King of Hell Pavilion is hailed as the world’s number one assassin organization, yet they never wear uniforms. This proves that standardized attire is detrimental, not beneficial, to an assassin organization."

"Third-rate assassins," Zhuo Jing stated calmly.

Listening to the cold taunts exchanged between Feng Zhiyao and Zhuo Jing, the atmosphere, which should have been grim and tense, became inexplicably amusing. Although the faces of the surrounding black-masked assassins were hidden, their eyes, burning as if with fire, clearly conveyed their fury. Feng Zhiyao’s lips curved into a smile as he looked at the assassins opposite them, remarking nonchalantly, "Actually, besides third-rate assassins, there’s another type of person who must wear a mask in broad daylight."

Ye Li, intrigued, picked up on his cue with a smile, "And who might that be?"

Feng Zhiyao chuckled. "People who can’t afford to be seen, for instance... the Imperial Guards!"

A hush fell over the assassins, yet they couldn’t conceal the astonishment in their eyes. Mo Xiuyao stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, and surveyed the assassins encircling them. He smiled faintly. "The Imperial Guards? Mo Jingqi’s move is merely an attempt to hide the obvious, a truly superfluous gesture."

Feng Zhiyao laughed. "Isn’t it just? Prince Ding’s Mansion has already severed ties with Great Chu. If Mo Jingqi wants to kill our Prince, he can send people openly. Wasn’t it fine like it was in the city earlier? Why all this sneaking around? However..."

Qin Feng interjected coldly, "They’d be afraid we would interpret it as Great Chu attempting to provoke the Mo Family Army."

The assassins hesitated for a moment. Then, their leader raised his saber, pointed it at Mo Xiuyao, and declared sternly, "Prince Ding, enough talk! We are here on orders. If we cannot return with your and the Princess Consort’s heads, our own heads will roll. Forgive our offense!" With that, he brandished his saber, and all the assassins lunged towards Mo Xiuyao.

Mo Xiuyao remained serene. With a mere flick of his sleeve, a tangible gust of force sent two assassins flying. The moment Mo Xiuyao moved, the others naturally joined the fray. Instantly, the once quiet main road erupted with the sounds of fighting and killing.

Several assassins, failing in their siege of Mo Xiuyao, changed tactics and targeted Ye Li, whom Mo Xiuyao had kept shielded in his arms and who hadn’t yet made a move. Four assassins launched a furious, coordinated assault to draw Mo Xiuyao’s attention, while two others seized the chance to thrust their swords at Ye Li. Ye Li, sheltered in Mo Xiuyao’s embrace, had limited room to maneuver. Just as two swords were about to pierce her, the assassins wielding them felt a surge of elation. Suddenly, one of them froze, a searing pain blossoming in his chest. The Princess Consort, who had been in Mo Xiuyao’s arms, was gone. Instead, a chillingly bright dagger was embedded in his own heart. A slender, jade-like hand gripped the dagger’s hilt and pulled it out without hesitation. Blood sprayed. As the assassin slowly fell, his vision blurred. He saw the beautiful and gentle Princess Consort, who looked like the most elegant lady from the Capital of Great Chu, holding the dagger stained with his blood. She spun, evading another incoming longsword, and like a gust of pale cyan wind, swept past his companion. A thin red line bloomed on his comrade’s neck...

In the blink of an eye, two were dead. Ye Li casually flicked the blood from her dagger and frowned slightly. She had indeed lacked practice these past few years; her movements weren’t as nimble as before. Although she had learned lightness skill and internal energy in this life, she feared she might never return to her peak form from her previous life. However... Glancing at Mo Xiuyao, who had nearly cleared the assassins in their immediate vicinity, Ye Li smiled faintly. This life was ultimately different. So what if she couldn’t truly return to her peak?

Once Mo Xiuyao had cleared the area around himself and Ye Li, he ceased to act. The surrounding guards spontaneously formed a barrier, separating the assassins from the Prince and Princess Consort. Thus, apart from occasionally dealing with a stray attacker or two, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao became the most idle people present.

"They’re stalling for time," Ye Li observed, frowning at the assassins tangling with the guards.

Mo Xiuyao replied nonchalantly, "They probably didn’t expect Guan Ting to be so inept as to let us leave that small city. Now they’re short-handed, so naturally, they can only stall for time." To deal with the guards of Prince Ding’s Mansion, especially with Qilin present, one would need three to five times their number. The hundred or so assassins here weren’t even enough for a warm-up.

Ye Li looked up at him. "So you intend to..."

Mo Xiuyao sneered. "Wait. If we don’t teach Mo Jingqi a lesson, he’ll never learn to behave. While we don’t fear him, too many buzzing mosquitoes and flies are still a nuisance."

Seeing Mo Xiuyao speak this way, Ye Li presumed he already had a plan and said no more. She leaned against a nearby horse and observed the fight. The horses of Prince Ding’s Mansion were all prime, carefully selected warhorses. Despite the fierce battle raging on the main road, the herd had merely trotted to the grassy verge and was calmly grazing, showing no sign of panic. A few horses even remained on the main road, taking the opportunity to trample a few of the fallen black-clad assassins.

Although the assassins tried their utmost to stall, it took little more than a quarter of an hour for all of them to be laid flat on the ground. The guards accompanying Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li south had long been itching for some action after days of being covertly watched wherever they went. Finally getting a chance to stretch their limbs, they naturally didn’t hold back much. When it was over, they still looked somewhat unfulfilled, complaining that their opponents were too weak.

Mo Xiuyao, of course, had no intention of simply waiting for the enemy to come to them. The group continued on their way. As for the corpses on the main road, no one paid them any mind. Ordinary folk wouldn’t use the main road anyway, so there was no need to worry about frightening anyone.

「The next day.」

As the group neared Broken Snow Pass, there was still no sign of pursuit. Even if Mo Jingqi’s men were inefficient, they wouldn’t be *this* inefficient. Mo Xiuyao frowned, then waved his hand and ordered, "A few of you, turn back. Tie up every Vice General in all the heavily garrisoned towns we passed."

Several Qilin stepped forward at the command and asked, "Prince, do we kill them or not?"

Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "Bind them if you can. If you can’t bind them, kill them."

"As you command, Prince!" How could they, the Qilin, ever fail a mission? At that moment, the few of them resolved to capture all the Vice Generals from the eleven heavily garrisoned Great Chu cities they had journeyed through and bring them back to the Northwest. Though they felt a slight twinge of regret: why hadn’t the Prince ordered them to abduct Chief Generals? Dealing with mere Vice Generals sounded like no challenge at all.

Hearing this, Feng Zhiyao asked curiously, "Prince, they didn’t pursue us, did they? It seems they know their place after all." Mo Jingqi definitely wouldn’t just send one wave of assassins and give up, especially since Mo Xiuyao’s group hadn’t hidden their tracks. The only explanation was that the generals commanding those garrisoned cities were feigning compliance, with no real intention of pursuing them.

The corner of Mo Xiuyao’s lips curved ever so slightly as he said coldly, "Making this Prince wait in vain also comes with a price."

Feng Zhiyao couldn’t help but shudder. So, in the end, it was Mo Jingqi who had provoked the Prince, right? He inwardly chuckled, imagining Mo Jingqi’s expression upon hearing that all his Vice Generals had suddenly been abducted and vanished. If they could abduct Vice Generals, they could certainly abduct Chief Generals. Their return journey from Nanzhao would likely be much smoother and cleaner.

"Prince, Broken Snow Pass is just ahead. Do you think General Murong will..."

Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "General Murong is a man of integrity and righteousness. Mo Jingqi would never issue such a directive to him. At Broken Snow Pass, even if Mo Jingqi had men there who wanted to mobilize troops without authorization, it wouldn’t be easy."

Feng Zhiyao nodded. "That’s true."

Mo Xiuyao looked down at Ye Li and said, "Let’s rest in Yonglin for a day. How about we leave the pass the morning after tomorrow?"

Ye Li nodded. "You decide. Big Brother should also be in Yonglin waiting for us." Gazing at the city now faintly visible in the distance, Ye Li couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Five or six years had passed in the blink of an eye. Six years ago, she was desperately trying to protect this small city. Now, it felt as though it no longer had any connection to them.